Can you guess the meaning of iterate, a less common relative of reiterate? It must mean simply "to state or do," right? Nope. Actually, iterate also means "to state or do again." It's no surprise, then, that some usage commentators have insisted that reiterate must always mean "to say or do again AND AGAIN." No such nice distinction exists in actual usage, however. Both reiterate and iterate can convey the idea of a single repetition or of many repetitions. Reiterate is the older of the two words—it first appeared in the 15th century, whereas iterate turned up in the 16th century. Both stem from the Latin verb iterare, which is itself from iterum ("again"), but reiterate took an extra step, through Latin reiterare ("to repeat").
He iterates and reiterates that his lab likewise provided the French with many biological tools and samples, as well as significant technical guidance … Natalie Angier, New York Times Book Review, 24 Mar. 1991Easy victories bring little satisfaction; repeated failures encourage reiterated effort, to the moment of ultimate gratification or ultimate resignation. Peter Gay, Style in History, 1974Judge Douglas has again, for, I believe, the fifth time, if not the seventh, in my presence, reiterated his charge of a conspiracy or combination between the National Democrats and Republicans. Abraham Lincoln, debate versus Stephen A. Douglas, 7 Oct. 1858"And are you glad to see me?" asked she, reiterating her former question, and pleased to detect the faint dawn of a smile. Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights, 1847 She avoided answering our questions directly, instead reiterating that the answers could be found in her book. Allow me to reiterate: if I am elected, I will not raise taxes. See More
Recent Examples on the WebLeaders should reiterate how new initiatives support the purpose/mission and demonstrate how adherence to core values keeps employees on track and focused to achieve goals. Niki Jorgensen, Forbes, 26 Aug. 2022 Your pediatrician may also reiterate the importance of following the instructions for your baby formula. Maggie O'neill, SELF, 17 May 2022 Walensky went on to reiterate the importance of vaccines, boosters, indoor masking in public settings, hand washing, improving ventilation, physical distancing, and testing. Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 3 Dec. 2021 Deutsche Bank economists anticipate Powell will reiterate the Fed's commitment to getting inflation under control. Editors, USA TODAY, 26 Aug. 2022 Officials were careful a a news conference Tuesday to reiterate that monkeypox does not confine itself to any particular group of people. Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Aug. 2022 These reasons reiterate the fact that, more than anything else, your people are your number one competitive advantage. Manoj Agarwal, Forbes, 1 June 2022 Tsai also took the opportunity to reiterate its aim to be a reliable U.S. partner in the region. Robert Olsen, Forbes, 3 Aug. 2022 The statement goes on to reiterate the language in the filing. Abbey White, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 July 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Latin reiteratus, past participle of reiterare to repeat, from re- + iterare to iterate